Greenpeace activists climb a 700-ft coal plant smokestack to denounce Bush's dirty power plan. The Hatfield's Ferry Power Station is a symbol and an example of the Bush administration's dirty energy policy that favors polluting fossil fuels over clean energy sources.

United States

The saying, "If you not part of the solution, you're part of the
problem", is a massive understatement when it comes to the Bush
administration and climate change. With less than 5 percent of the
world's population, the US is the world's largest producer of
greenhouse gases and is responsible for nearly 25 percent of global
carbon dioxide emissions.

And yet, the Bush administration has withdrawn from the
onlyinternationally binding measure to tackle climate change - the
KyotoProtocol. Instead, the policy of the Bush administration, and
itslegislative allies, is business as usual but only more so. They
aregiving millions of dollars in subsidies to the oil, gas and
coalindustries; making no credible effort to support renewable
energy; andare opening the Arctic National Wildlife refuge for
drilling. On theinternational scene, the Bush administration has
made extraordinaryefforts to impede progress in tackling climate
change. Again and again,at international meetings Greenpeace
delegates have watched the Bushteam try to obstruct and weaken
international efforts to reduce globalemissions, just as it has
tried to wreck so many other internationalnegotiations over the
past 15 years.

Not living up to its promise

Ironically,the US could easily be a world leader in addressing
climatechange. Along with energy efficiency, the US has made
significantcontributions to wind and solar technology development,
and despitelack of support from the Bush administration both
industries showstrong domestic growth. US scientists have also
played animportant role in climate change research. For example,
in whatis being called the "smoking gun" of global warming, a
decade long NASAled research project has confirmed that our planet
is absorbing moreenergy from the sun than is emitted back into
space - indicating an"energy imbalance" and a warming world.

Taking a leadership role in climate change would also benefit
the US in many ways. For example:

More skilled jobs - Renewable energy creates more jobs per
kilowatt than fossil fuels or nuclear.

Foster international good will - By joining the rest of the
world in tackling climate change.

Instead,the Bush administration continues to ignore its own
scientists, and actas if climate change isn't happening. Bush's
energy policieswould seem divorced from reality if it weren't for
the cold hard cashBush and his political allies get from the fossil
fuel and nuclearindustries as campaign contributions. It seems
these politicalcontributions, and Bush's own past with the oil
industry, handilyoutweigh scientific evidence and world opinion
when it comes to hisadministration's energy policy.

Greenpeace will continueto pressure the US government to take
action on climate change. It is also working to persuade US states,
cities, the businesscommunity and individuals not to wait for the
government, but to moveahead on their own by implementing energy
efficiency technologies andbuying renewable energy. See the Greenpeace USA actions
page for how you can help.

The latest updates

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